Tell us: How to fix fleet maintenance

Aug. 26, 2013 - 06:00AM
|

With mounds of paper work and time-consuming changes, the Navy’s maintenance scheme falls heaviest on petty officers, chiefs and junior officers who either bristle at or are numbed by the daunting process.

Many sailors say this is an out-dated process that consumes more time and attention than its goal: Properly maintaining equipment. And officials are listening.

The Navy’s new innovation campaign is considering ways to streamline the maintenance process and even the surface Navy’s three-star boss believes it’s time for an overhaul. What do you think?

How would you improve or streamline maintenance in your shop or work center?

Some have said the checks have unnecessary, even “ridiculous” steps. What are some examples and how could they be trimmed or abandoned?

All of the checks include step-by-step safety rules, even for things as commonplace as stepping on a ladder. Do you think it’s fair to assume that sailors lack common sense?

Or do you feel the current process works and the paper work is just a necessary byproduct?

Navy Times wants to hear your ideas about maintenance and ways to improve it, large and small, whether by automating the update process or eliminating time-wasting tasks. Send your thoughts to staff writer Sam Fellman at sfellman@navytimes.com. And be specific. Your comments could be used in an upcoming article.